Wheel hub cable power unit combination winch and hoist



IF U 1 v ln rs/rroe 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 16, 1952 J HELLER WHEEL HUB CABLE POWER UNIT COMBINATION-WINCH AND HOIST Filed March 26, 1948 Sept. 16, 1952 J L E 7 2,610,826

WHEEL HUB CABLE POWER UNIT COMBINATION WINCH AND HOIST Filed March 26, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Sept. 16, 1952 UNITED STATE :vvHEEL HUB CABLE rowan UNrr COM- A I BINATION wmon AND nors'r Julius Heller, Portsmouth, Va. I R 1 I Application March 26, 1948, Serial No. 17,184

This invention relates a winch or the like, .to be mounted upon and to be powered by a self-propelled .vehicle, such as a tractor, truck or the like.

Heretofore, when equipping a vehicle such as a tractor, truck or the like, with a power unit such as a winch or the like, the usual practice has been toprovide a power transmission and control mechanism for the power unit separate and distinct from the power transmission. and control mechanism of the vehicle. Thus, inmany instances, the. power transmission and control mechanism of the power unit has included parts, such as a clutch, brake, speed reduction gear, variable speed transmission gear and the like, which are included in the conventional power transmission and control mechanism-of the vehicle. As a consequence, there has been expensive duplication of parts, undesirable weighting and unbalancing of vehicles in many instances by the weight of power units applied thereto, and many other disadvantages in connection with said usual prior practice. a 7

Accordingly, the general object of the present invention is to so construct a @powerv unit-such as mentioned, andto so mount the same upon a tractor, truck or the like, as to utilize in a large measure the conventional power transmission and control mechanism of the vehicle for the operation and control of said unit, thus greatly to simplify the construction 01 such units, greatly to reduce their weight and expense and to secure all of the many other advantages inherent to the use of the conventional power transmission and control mechanism of a vehicle for the operation and control ofapower unite With the foregoing and other objects in view,

which will become more fully apparent as the in vention is better understood, the same consists in a power unit for self-propelledvehicles embodying the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings and as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed. a In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the rear portion of a tractor of the crawler type equipped with a, pair of power units in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a section onan enlarged scale on the line 22 of Fig. 1. v

Fig. 3 is a section on an enlarged scale on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating an alternative embodiment of the invention; a

a power unit, such as duplicates of each other,

5 c a ms. (Cl. 254-1 6 Referring to theldrawings in detail, A designates, generally, a portionof a tractor which is tial gear H and speed reduction gears l2 constituting a power transmission andcontrol mechanism for so-calledfinal drive shafts I3, [3 upon which are mounted sprocket, wheels, l4, 14 for driving the tracks designated as If |5. Since the two power units shown are right and left hand adescription of one will sufiice for both; a f, 1 i

In accordance with the invention, a sleeve I6 is suitably fastened rigidly to the final drive shaft [3 and constitutes anoutwa fdly extending, axial prolongation of said shaft. Upon the inner end portion of this sleeve the sprocket wheel I4 is suitably mounted so that it is held against axial or endwise movement andso that it and said sleeve are rotatable relative tojeach other. A cable drum ll also is suitably mounted on the sleeve [6, adjacent to the outer end thereof so that it is held again's'taxial orendwise movement and so that it and said sleeve are rotatable relative to each other. 'f

Preferably theputer end portion l6 of said sleeve upon which the drum I1! is mounted, is separate from the inner end portion of said sleeve and is bolted or otherwise suitably detachably connected to the said inner end portion of said sleeve, as indicated at l8, so that when not in use said sleeve outeiae'ndj portion and the drum l7 may be'removed frornthe inner end portion of said sleeve to avoid anyappreciable projection of any part of the power unit b'eyondthe side of the tractor. i p For drivingly connecting and disconnecting either the sprocket wheel l4 or the drum IT with and from the sleeve l6, Ijprovide a suitableclutch mechanism designatedgenerally as l9, which is operable by the driver of the vehicle. Such clutch mechanism preferably is mounted on thesleeve' l6 between the drum l1 and the sprocket wheel H and may be of any suitabletype. As illustrated in the drawings, however, it comp-rises an annular fiange 20 welded or otherwise suitably fixed to the outer side of the sprocket whee1 M; an annular flange 2| welded or otherwise fixed to the inner side of the drum H; a, pair of annular flanges 22 and 23 weldedor otherwise suitably fixed to the sleeve l6 adjacent to the flanges 2t and 2 I, respectively; and a ring 24 mounted loosely on said sleeve, between the flanges 22 and 23, for rotation and longitudinal movement relative and 23, the pins 29 and 39 are disposed in the I holes 21 and 29 of said flanges 22 and .23, but

are not disposed in the holes 25 or 29 .of the flanges 29 and 2|. Moreover, the spaced apart relationship of the flanges 22 and"23'is such that the ring 24 may be shifted inwardly alion i;

the sleeve IS an amount to engage the pins. 29 in the holes 25 of the flange 20, or outwardly along said sleeve an amount to engage the pins 99 in the holes 26 of the flange 2|. In this connection the spacing of the flanges 22 and 23 may be such that the pins 29 and 39 are at all times engaged in the holes 21 and 29 of said flanges. In any event, in any. position of the ring 24, either the pins 29 are engaged in the holes 21 of the flange 22 or the pins 39 are engaged in the holes 29 of the flange 23. Consequently, since the flanges 22 and 23 are fixed to the sleeve IS, the pins 29 and 39 always are rotatable with said sleeve. It follows. therefore, that when the ring 24 is shifted inwardly along the sleeve IE to engage the pins 29 in the holes 25 of the flange 29, the sleeve I6 is drivingly coupled to the sprocket wheel M. It likewise follows that when the ring 24 is shifted outwardly along the sleeve It to engage the pins 39 in the holes 26 of the flange 2|, the sleeve I6, is drivingly coupled to the drum I1. It further follows that when the ring I4 is in a position midway between the flanges 22 and 23 with the pins 29 disengaged from the holes 29 in the flange 29 and the pins 39 disengaged from the holes. 29 in the, flange 2|, the sleeve I6 is drivingly disconnected from both the sprocket wheel l4 and the drum I1. Manifestly, therefore, the mechanism just described affords a means whereby the sleeve I6 may rotate without driving either the tractor or the drum l1, and whereby either the tractor to the exclusion of said drum, or said drum to the exclusion of the tractor, may be. driven by said sleeve l6. Moreover. since the sleeve I6 is driven by the conventional power'tr'ansmission and control mechanism of the tractor, it is apparent that whenever the sleeve H5 is coupled to the sprocket wheel H or to the drum H, the tractor or said drum, as the case may be, is driven by and is under the control of the conventional power transmission and control mechanism of the tractor with all inherent advantages as distinguished from the prior disadvantageous practice of providing a power transmission and control mechanism separate from the conventional power transmission and control mechanism of a tractor, truck or the like for the control of a cable drum or the like.

While any suitable means may be provided for shifting the ring 24, a suitable means for this purpose may comprise fork arms 3| suitably engaged at their free ends with said ring and connected at their other ends to a shaft 32 which may be Journaled for rotation in a suitable bracket or support 33 suitably mounted on the tractor. From the shaft 32 'a suitable handle 34 4 may extend to a point where it is in convenient reach of the driver of the tractor.

In some instances it may be desirable to drive the sprocket wheel H and the drum |1 not only selectively but simultaneously. In that event, the present power unit may be constructed as illustrated by way of example in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

Referring to Figure 4, the construction is generally similar to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 and includes annular flanges 35 and 36 fixed to the sprocket wheel l4 and the drum H at the outer and inner sides thereof, respectively, an annular flange 31 fixed to the sleeve l6 intermediate the flanges 35 and 36, and a pair of rings 39 and 39 both of which are loosefon the sleeve l6 and slidable therealong.

the former being disposed between the flanges 35 and 31 and the latter being disposed between the flanges 36 and 31. The flanges 35 and 33 have fixed thereto and extending outwardly and inwardly therefrom, respectively, annular series of pins 49 and 4|, respectively, which are ongaged in holes 42 and 43 inv the rings 39 and 39, respectively; the flange .31 has fixed. thereto and projecting from opposite sides thereof on nular series of pins 44 and 45, respectively, and the rings 39 and 39 have annular series of holes 46 and 41, respectively, to receive the pins 44 and 45, respectively.

The spacing of theflanges 39, 39 and 31, the widths of therings 39 and 33, and the lengtlu of the pins 49, 4|, 44 and are. such that. the pins 49 and 4| maintain the rings 39 and 39 constantly coupled to the sprocket wheel 14 and the drum I1, respectively, and that the rings 38 and 39 are 'shiftable along the sleeve ii to be either coupled to or uncoupled from the. flange 31 through the instrumentality of the pins 41 and and the holes and 41. It. thus follows that merely by shifting of the rings 39 and 33 along the sleeve. l9, both the sprocket wheel l4. and the drum |1 may be either drivingly oohnected to or drivingly disconnected from the sleeve I3, or either said sprocket wheel or said drum may, to the exclusion of the other. be either drivingly connected to or drivingly disconnected from said sleeve.

Any suitable means conveniently operable by the driver may be provided for individually shifting the rings and 39 along the sleeve 19, such. means being, for example. enerally the same as the means illustrated and described for shifting the ring 24. of the. Figs,. 1 to 3 form, of the invention.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the. drawings. itgwil-l evident that I have providedian. extr mely simple and efiicient means. for powering a. cable drum which may be applied toany standard or other self-propelled vehicle without; substantial modification of the. vehicle structure.

In the appended. claims the termtraction means is used to denote any ground ensasi w elements which furnish traction tothe vehicle, whether the same be the tracks of a crawler tractor, the wheels of a tractor-ertruck, or any accessory ground-engaging. elements, with which the vehicle may be equipped. Similarly, the term flnal drive shaft is used herein to denote the last shaft of a train of gearing between an engine and traction means by which the traction means is driven by the engine.

While I have shown forms or my invention which havebeen found satisfactory under. .031181 flange fixed to said sleeve and disposed adjacent to said traction means and having theremounted. onmsaid sleeve, for'j'rotation relative in an annular series of holes for alinement with the holes in said traction means, a second clutch flange fixed to said sleeve and disposed adjacent to said cable drum and having therein an annular series of holes for alinement with the holes in said cable drum, a third clutch flange loose on said sleeve between said first mentioned flanges and having projecting from one side thereof an annular set of pins to enter the holes in said traction element and said first mentioned flange to drivingly connect said traction means to said sleeve, a second annular set of pins projecting from the other side of said third flange to enter the holes in said second mentioned flange and said cable drum to drivingly connect said cable drum to said sleeve, said third flange being slidable along said sleeve to selectively engage its said sets of pins in their related holes to selectively connect said traction means and said cable drum to said sleeve,

and means for sliding said third flange along said sleeve.

2. In a tractor, a final drive shaft, a sleeve fixed to said final drive shaft for rotation therewith, traction means and a cable drum both mounted loosely on said sleeve in spaced relationship to each other and each having project- .ing inwardly therefrom an annular setof pins,

sleeve for rotation,r'elative thereto, a cable fdrum thereto and-disposed outwardly with respect to saidatractionr-wheel, clutch-formations on each ofzsaid traction wheeland; said, cable drum, a membersfixedito said sleeve between said-traction wheel and .said cable ,drum' and. having clutchgformations at eachside thereof; a ,clutch element -mounted on said sleeve ,between: S member and-said ltraction wheel and constantly engaged with the clutch formations of the latter for .,rotation.;therewith-,-:: said, ,clutch elementx bee, lng shiftable along said sleeve for engagement with and-disengagement from the clutch forma-' tions at one side of said member to couple and uncouple said traction wheel with and from said sleeve. and a second clutch element mounted on which the pins of said traction means are at all times disposed whereby said second flange is at all times coupled to said traction means,

said second flange having therein a second annular set of holes and being slidable along said sleeve to cause the set of pins at one side of said first mentioned flange to enter or to be withdrawn from its said second set of holes so as either to drivingly connect or drivingly disconnect said traction means to or from said sleeve, a third flange loose on said shaft between said cable drum and said first flange and having therein an annular set of holes in which the pins of said cable drum are at all times disposed whereby said third flange is at all times coupled to said cable drum, said third flange having therein a second annular set of holes and being slidable along said sleeve to cause the pins at the other side of said first flange to enter or to be withdrawn from its said second set of holes so as to drivingly connect or drivingly disconnect said cable drum to or from said sleeve, and means for shifting said second and said third flanges along said sleeve.

3. In a tractor, a final drive shaft, a sleeve fixed to an end of said shaft for rotation therewith and extending outwardly beyond said end of said shaft, a traction wheel mounted on said said sleeve between said member and said cable drum and constantly engaged with the clutch formations of the latter for rotation therewith, said second clutch element being shiftable along said sleeve for engagement with and disengagement from the clutch formations at the other side of said member to couple and uncouple said cable drum with and from said sleeve.

4. In a tractor, a final drive shaft, a sleeve fixed to an end of said shaft for rotation therewith and extending outwardly beyond said end of said shaft, a traction wheel mounted on said sleeve for rotation relative thereto, a cable drum mounted on said sleeve for rotation relative thereto and disposed outwardly with respect to said traction wheel, clutch formations on each of said traction wheel and said cable drum, a

' member fixed to said sleeve between said traction Wheel and said cable drum and having clutch formations at each side thereof, a clutch element mounted on said sleeve between said member and said traction Wheel and constantly engaged with the clutch formations of one of said traction wheel and said member for rotation therewith, said clutch element being shiftable along said sleeve for engagement with and disengagement from the clutch formations of the other of said traction wheel and said member to couple and uncouple said traction wheel with and from said sleeve, and a second clutch element mounted on said sleeve between said member and said cable drum and constantly engaged with the clutch formations of one of said cable drum and said member for rotation there-with, said second clutch element being shiftable along said sleeve for engagement with and disengagement from the clutch formations of the other of said cable drum and said member to couple and uncouple said cable drum with and from said sleeve.

5. In a tractor, a final drive shaft, a sleeve fixed to an end of said shaft for rotation therewith and etxending outwardly beyond one end of said shaft, a traction wheel mounted on said sleeve for rotation relative thereto, a cable drum mounted on said sleeve for rotation relative thereto and disposed outwardly of said traction wheel, a clutch flange fixed to said sleeve between said traction wheel and said cable drum, a clutch member slidably mounted on said sleeve between said traction wheel and said clutch flange, said clutch member being constantly engaged non-rotatively with one of said traction wheel and said clutch flange and by sliding movement thereof along said sleeve being engageable with and disengageable from the other of said traction wheel and said clutch flange to drivably connect and disconnect said traction gamma 7 8 wheel with and from said sleeve, and a second REFERENCES CITED clutch member slidably mounted on said sleeve The flowing references are or record in the between said cable drum and said clutch flange. me of this patent:

said clutch member being constantly engaged non-rotatively with one or said cable drum and 5 UNITED T S PATENTS said clutch flange and by sliding movement there- Number Name M of along said sleeve being engages-hie with and 1,547,496. t July 3, 925 disengageable from the other 01' said cable drum 1,730,707 mm t, 3, 939 and said :hitgi fitlliged to d v viiritihblsgnz g :3: 1,731,529 Fellers Oct 15, 1929 disconnec 59. ca e rum 7 om w sleeve independently of drivably connecting and FOREIGN PATENTS disconnecting said traction wheelwitb and 1mm Number Country Date said sleeve. 312.600 Italy Nov. 20, 1933 JULIUS mum. 7341790 France Oct. 28, 1932 

